A Mexican American broadcaster filed on May 27 lawsuit against the Los Angeles Lakers, alleging the professional basketball franchise racially discriminated against him and has been retaliated against.
Fernando Gonzalez, who had provided Spanish-language play-by-play commentary of Lakers games since 1996, alleged the NBA team treated him differently than his “Anglo American counterparts.”
According to the complaint, which names both the team and Time Warner Cable, Gonzalez was “treated less favorably than his Anglo American counterparts in terms of wages, hours, and conditions of employment.”
The complaint, which seeks a judgment of at least $1 million, also alleged the Lakers treated Gonzales, 53, differently from and “less favorably than” employees under the age of 40.
“He suffered pretty brutal racial segregation. I’m surprised the Lakers didn’t have a separate bathroom for him,” Lisa Maki, Gonzalez’s attorney, told Westside Today in front of the Los Angeles Superior Court on May 30. “Things really heated up over the past three years. The more he complained, the more he was retaliated against. They are basically squeezing him out.”
Maki added while “he loves the Lakers,” when Gonzalez brought up his complaints to management, he lost game assignments and pay.
A copy of the complaint obtained by Westside Today indicated Gonzalez had a laundry list of complaints against Lakers management. In 1997, for example, the complaint stated while the team announced the game’s announcers on the big screen prior to the game, Gonzalez was not included in the introductions on days he worked.
Gonzalez also alleged he had to pay $3,000 for a commemorative championship ring when the Lakers won the NBA Finals in 2000, whereas other staff members received the finger jewel – a $6,000 value according to the complaint – for free.
Another allegation: between 1996 and 2006, Gonzalez stated most Lakers broadcasters were given season tickets as part of their contract. The perk was not extended to Gonzalez, the complaint stated.
It was also alleged Gonzalez was paid less than his counterparts on the English-language networks even though they both did the same job.
Gonzalez also alleged he had to pay $3,000 for a commemorative championship ring when the Lakers won the NBA Finals in 2000, whereas other staff members received the finger jewel – a $6,000 value according to the complaint – for free.
Meanwhile, the Lakers’ provided an official comment on the filed lawsuit, claiming Gonzalez’s complaint lacked merit.
“We do not believe these allegations have any merit, and would like to point out that the majority of our broadcasters are people of color. Furthermore, the Lakers were the first team in the NBA to conduct full-time radio broadcasts in Spanish, which began 20 years ago,” John Black stated on behalf of the Lakers.
His statement continued:
“During the 2012-13 season, we became the first team to have a separate TV broadcast network (TWC Deportes) to televise games in Spanish. Although these initiatives have financially been minimally-profitable to us, we feel they’ve been extremely successful to us in terms of providing a desired and needed service to a large part of our fan base. The Los Angeles Lakers appreciate and respect the diverse makeup of our workforce and are committed to providing an environment free of harassment and discrimination and in accordance with the law. Since this is an ongoing legal matter, we cannot comment any further about this case.”
The primary radio carriers for Lakers broadcasts are ESPN 710 AM and ESPN Deportes 1330 AM. On television, the Lakers can be viewed on its own sports network with Time Warner Cable.
